• Source:JND
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Amid the Opposition’s continuous and fervid attack on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM), video platform YouTube added a “Context” information panel on videos raising doubts about the functioning of the polling machines. The panel bar serves as a disclaimer by the Election Commission of India.

The information bar redirects users to the poll panel website where FAQs about EVMs and VVPAT are answered. “The strong technical safeguards in electronic voting machines and elaborate administrative safeguards, procedures and security put in place by ECI ensure that the elections are transparent, free and fair,” the message in the context panel reads. 

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This came days after the poll panel wrote to YouTube in this regard. A list of 70 videos was also sent by the EC. This was done to address the doubts over the use of EVMs and VVPATs.

Opposition has been perpetually raising their concerns over the use of EVMs in elections. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on December 30 wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, saying the INDIA alliance’s concerns over the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) have not been addressed, following several representations and requests for a meeting.

“On October 2, 2023, a follow-up representation was sent by us through counsel. The representation raised specific concerns which remained unaddressed in the ECI’s clarification of August 23, 2023. No response was received on the same. On December 20, 2023, we again requested an appointment with the ECI to ‘discuss and provide suggestions on the use of VVPATs’ based on a resolution passed at a meeting of leaders of INDIA parties held the previous day,” Ramesh wrote.

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The poll panel, in a reply to the Congress leader, said it had ‘full faith’ in the EVM and it, along with VVPAT complied with the legal framework strengthened by successive Union governments over the past 40 years. The EC also stated queries on EVM and VVPAT were addressed in the FAQ section of the poll panel website.